Michael Jackson's family are still fighting over his £90m estate 15 years later

21 March 2024 , 13:36

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Michael Jackson's estate was recently valued at more than $111million (Image: Getty Images)

Michael Jackson's father, siblings, and ex-wives were all omitted from the late King of Pop's will before his untimely death at age 50.

His vast estate, now thought to be worth £87million ($111million) was sent to a trust – but why are his family still fighting over it? Here the Mirror takes a look at Jackson's final will, submitted in 2002, years before his tragic passing on June 25 2009.

There had previously been arguments over the Thriller hitmaker's agreement after multiple editions were submitted over the years, but they remained largely the same. All versions stated his interests were placed into the "Michael Jackson Family Trust".

READ MORE: Michael Jackson's son Blanket at war with his grandmother over dad's estate and music

Michael Jackson died all the way back in July 2009 (AFP/Getty Images)

It stipulated 20 percent would go to charity and the remainder would be split between a lifetime trust for Michael's mum Katherine Jackson, as well as a trust for his children. After Katherine's death, any remaining funds would go to his children.

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A second submitted will in December 1997 kept the same terms but changed bankers and named Michael's firstborn son Prince Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr in the children section. It still stated half of what’s left after distributions to charities, and for Michael's mother Katherine, be split between all children he might have.

The third will was signed in March 2002 after the birth of Michael's second and third children, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince Michael Joseph Jackson, II, known by his nickname "Blanket". It still indicated the same divide, with even separation for each child, a fourth and final named every child and was filed in July that year.

His father Joe Jackson, siblings and ex-wives were omitted from the will, with Jackson’s trust also including a “no contest” clause that called for anyone who challenged the legal document to be automatically disinherited. Joe filed a lawsuit in an attempt to claim a share of the estate after Michael's death, but it was denied.

Michael's dad Joe attempted to claim some of the estate (Getty Images)

Joe was seeking an allowance to top-up his already $1,700 monthly social security payment and cover 'expenses' that exceeded $15,000 a month. "Joe Jackson takes none of this estate," Judge Mitchell Beckloff ruled in 2009. "This is a decision his son made."

After Michael's death, his estate had generated around half a billion dollars in just three years, according to Forbes Magazine. Thanks to a $60million advance on his This Is It film, a new recording contract worth up to $250million and Michael's Immortal World Tour, Cirque du Soleil, grossing over $75million in the first half of 2012, Michael's estate earned more in that three-year period than any single living artist.

Despite Joe's attempt, and a few from his siblings, to change the will, it's remained the same, with the terms from 2002. But now the estate deal is making headlines again all these years later as Michael's youngest son Blanket, now known as Bigi, is at war with his grandmother Katherine over legal details on his father's estate, valued at $111million.

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His estate is worth millions of dollars (ARMANDO ARORIYO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Now 22, Michael's third child is reported to have filed legal papers to stop Katherine from using his father's estate funds to fund an appeal of a previous ruling. According to reports, Blanket and his grandmother "were recently working together to stop the executors of [Michael] Jackson's estate from going through with a huge business transaction that they were very much so against".

TMZ states that the documents do not say what the transaction was, but added: "Based on recent reporting, it seems like it may be related to the deal the estate made with Sony to sell about half of Michael's music catalogue for $600M."

The outlet reports that, in the documents, Bigi explains how he and his grandmother presented their arguments opposing the deal, with the court then ruling against them and closing the case. But now Katherine has decided to appeal the ruling, and Blanket doesn't agree, nor does he want his father's estate paying for her legal bills.

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Michael's siblings were also omitted from his final will (Getty Images)

It also reports, in the documents, Blanket says he doesn't think appealing the case "truly benefits the beneficiaries of the trust", and doesn't believe his father's estate should pay for it. He has also asked the court to use its best judgment to grant his grandmother "reasonable attorney's fees incurred from the pre-appeal battle".

It comes shortly after executors of the estate reportedly claimed Katherine "receives a seven-figure allowance for the year". Last June, in documents filed to the court, it was stated that Blanket had hoped to keep his position under wraps, with the legal matter maintaining "confidentiality". According to reports, the documents stated that Blanket "is a very private person and may have said nothing if he knew that his words or positions could become public," noting: "That, in turn, would have denied the trial court of the ability to hear and consider all aspects of the proposed action."

Harry Rutter